Good Morning!

It's Tuesday, March 17, 2026, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• “Not our war”: US allies turn away from Iran conflict.

• Can we really pull a “plastic detox”?

• It’s in your bathroom and it’s dirtier than that toilet seat.

Love this newsletter? Don’t keep it all to yourself — share it with your friends!

Reading for the first time? Join over 50,000 intellectually curious women. 

Paywalled articles ruin a seamless experience. We hear you, going forward, here’s a link that you can use to access all the locked articles to bypass the paywall. It is safe and we hope to deliver nothing but the best experience for our readers.

Help us be better, write at: [email protected]

Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

World

Iran War Rages On As Allies Turn Sour

European leaders on Monday pushed back on calls from President Donald Trump to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, signaling they do not plan to join a US-led effort tied to the war with Iran. After talks in Brussels, EU foreign ministers said they would not expand the bloc’s naval mission to patrol the strait. “Europe has no interest in an open-ended war,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, adding, “This is not Europe’s war.” Germany’s defense minister Boris Pistorius said, “The Americans chose this path, together with the Israelis… We did not start this war.” Is Iran war why Trump is delaying China meet?

Britain also ruled out deeper involvement. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK “will not be drawn into the wider war”, stressing his government would stand “firm for the British interest”. Trump responded by saying he was “not happy” with the UK and that it “should be involved enthusiastically,” adding that some allies had “greatly disappointed” him even though Britain had long been “the Rolls-Royce of allies.”  Clousure of the Strait of Hormuz is also putting America’s generic drug prescriptions on risk. How?

The conflict continues to escalate: 

• A US military spokesman said more than 200 American troops have been wounded across seven countries during the campaign against Iran. 

• Israeli officials claim two senior Iranian figures — Ali Larijani and Gholamreza Soleimani — were assassinated, though Iran has not confirmed the reports. 

• Drone attacks hit the port of Fujairah and areas near Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, leading to temporary flight suspensions. Are the Gulf countries seeing limits of US security guarantee?

Related Read: Iran-US been in direct contact, Axios reports.

Health

Vaccine Recommendations Here To Stay?

A federal judge blocked sweeping vaccine policy changes introduced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ruling the overhaul likely violated federal law. US District Judge Brian E. Murphy said the changes to routine immunization recommendations were “arbitrary and capricious” and invalidated Kennedy’s appointments to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), preventing the panel from meeting this week.

The court also voided decisions made by the new advisers after Kennedy dismissed all 17 previous ACIP members and replaced them. Affected actions included banning thimerosal in flu vaccines and ending recommendations for the MMR-chickenpox combination shot and the universal hepatitis B birth dose. An HHS spokesperson said the government expects to appeal.

Health

Catching Flights Getting Worse For Americans

Missed paychecks for airport security staff and extreme weather nationwide disrupted US air travel, causing long security lines and thousands of canceled flights.

From travelers facing security waits exceeding an hour to airport lines extending to the parking lots, Americans have seen everything after Transportation Security Administration agents missed their first full paycheck during the funding lapse at the US Department of Homeland Security. More than 300 TSA employees have resigned since February, while about 100,000 DHS workers missed paychecks last week. “A $0 paycheck for those continuing to serve,” the Transportation Security Administration said on social media.

At the same time, severe weather battered large parts of the country. More than 4,700 flights were canceled nationwide as blizzards hit the Midwest, storms moved toward the East Coast, and forecasters warned over 100 million Americans faced dangerous weather conditions.

In the know

DON’T MISS

📰 Pakistan denies Taliban claim that Kabul hospital strike killed over 400 people. 

🧼 The most-common bathroom item can be dirtier than our toilet seats. BRB, cleaning atm, or at least throwing it out!

🎗️ White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles announces breast cancer diagnosis, vows to keep working.

🛒 Another day, another food recall. Costco recalls this popular meal kit in over 30 states.

👮‍♂️ US border patrol commander, who led Minneapolis immigration crackdown, set to retire at the end of March.

🎯 Could being bad at your hobby be your secret weapon?

⚖️ Supreme Court declines to end deportation protections for Haitian and Syrian migrants.

🔄 Sticking to routines is tough but these four keystone habits can help keeping everything in check. 

⚡ Cuba hit by nationwide blackout as power grid collapses amid deepening energy crisis. 

🧪 Microplastics this, microplastics that. Could we really “detox from plastics”?

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

🦠 Is your gut plagued with worms? The internet is making a case for that …. and herbal “parasite cleansers” are the weapon of choice. 

😵‍💫 We hate to break it to you, but stress poops are real. The next time a work meeting sends your gut into overdrive (hello, diarrhea?), try this. 

🥚 We’ll have an egg, and eat it this way. These are the ways to make your breakfast egg healthier — and it has little to do with how you cook it. 

🎣 Will the doctor send you fishing now? As health systems buckle under crisis around the globe, “social prescribing” emerges as a way to treat modern burnout and isolation.

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

✨ Less is more? Side boob ruled the Oscars red carpet, and it might just be spring’s boldest fashion cue.

☀️ Your sunscreen routine might be due for an upgrade. Dermatologists say “nontoxic” formulas now combine serious UV protection with skincare-level ingredients.

🧥 Spring’s light-layer moment is near, and fashion insiders are quietly championing this sleek jacket silhouette.

🌼 If spring had an official manicure, it would probably be these cute, celebrity-approved floral nail designs.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🎬 Teyana Taylor confronts Oscars security guard after alleging he shoved her backstage.

🎨 Banksy unmasked? Investigation says the elusive graffiti artist is Robin Gunningham.

💍 Zendaya might’ve finally responded to those wedding rumors.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

Some people taking popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are seeing hunger and weight creep back even while staying on medication. Doctors say it’s not that drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound stop working. Instead, the body’s biological drive to regain lost weight can intensify over time. Experts describe obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease where the body defends its previous weight. Weight loss often plateaus after about a year, and some patients regain pounds despite continued treatment. Physicians say dose adjustments, switching drugs, diet changes, and exercise may help manage the rebound.

“If your dream only includes you, it’s too small.”

— Ava DuVernay